Improvement in sheep-racks



M. BARNARD.

Sheep Rack.

Patented July 1l, i865.

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PATENT MILTON BARNARD, OF UNIONVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SH EEP-RACKS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 18,6411, dated July 11, 1865.

i'o all whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, MILTON BARNARD, of Unionville, inthe county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Sheep rlrough; and I do hereby deelare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw- 4 fed equably-that is to say, each have an equal share ot' the feed. Sheep cat very rapidly, and unless some means be devised to regulate the supply of feed to the trough and have the former equally distributed in the latter some ofthe sheep-the strongest and foremostoneswill get more than their share.

My invention, it is believed, fully obviates this difficulty; and to this end it consists in having a hopper placed over or above the feeding-trough-one or two of the latter being used-and having the hopper constructed in such a manner that the grain or feed may be discharged therefrom more or less rapidly into the feeding trough or troughs and equally distributed in them throughout their entire length.

b b are tted in the end pieces, a a, which eX- tend up above the troughs A A and form the ends of the hopper as well as the ends of the troughs.

The sides b b, in consequence of being hung or suspended on the pivots c c, may be adjusted so that their lower ends will be in contact with the partition B, as shown in tint in Fig. 2, or saidA ends moved out from B, as shown in red outline inthe same gure. In the former adjustment of the sides b b the hopper C is closed, and'in the latter adjustment it is open.

The sides b b ot' the hopper are moved or adjusted by means of two arms, d d, the outer ends of which are pivotd in the sides b b, the inner ends ofthe arms lapping over each other, each being slotted longitudinally, with a pin, e, passing through the slots, said pin also passing through the lower end of an upright arm, D, the upper end of which is ttted on the outer end of the lower arm ot a bent lever, E, the fulcrum of the latter being in the upper end of one of the end pieces, a. It will be seen that by actuating this lever E the sides b b may be adjusted so as to open and close the hopper and let down the grain or feed into the troughs in greater or less quantities, as maybe desired, the grain or feed falling down the inclined sides of the partition B into the troughs. In case several of these devices are used their levers E maybe connected to a rod, (shown in red in Fig. 1,) so that the sides b bof allthe hoppers may be adjusted simultaneously, and the levers E may be retained at any desired point within the scope of their movement by means of a pawl or arm, F, connected to them by a pivot, and having their lower ends engaging with a segment-rack, G, as shown in Fig. 1.

I would remark that the device may be constructed with only one trough, A, and a hopper, C, constructed with only one side, b; but the double form would be preferable.

Thus by this simple device the feed-troughs may be supplied with grain or feed gradually and evenly throughput, and the sheep equably fed or supplied with feed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- .lhe pyramidal partition B, extending upward beyond and between the ends of the pivoted sides I) b, for the purpose of forming two separate hoppers and troughs, substantially as herein described.

MILTON BARNARD. 

